Honorarium raised for online seminars, workshops

The government has revised honorarium rates for participants in seminars and workshops conducted online through Zoom across government offices.

The finance ministry increased payments for keynote presenters, moderators, discussants, rapporteurs and participants, according to a circular issued last week.

Under the new directive, keynote presenters will receive Tk 4,500 each. Moderators and discussants will receive Tk 4,000 each, with a maximum of three discussants allowed. Rapporteurs will be paid Tk 2,500 each, limited to two persons, while participants will receive Tk 1,000 each.

Honorarium and allowances for subject-based internal training of government officials were last revised on May 22, 2019. At the time, joint secretaries and officials of higher ranks were entitled to Tk 2,500 per hour-long session as trainers, while deputy secretaries and officials of lower ranks received Tk 2,000.

Training allowances were set at Tk 600 per day for trainees in Grade 9 and above and Tk 500 for those in Grade 10 and below. Course directors received Tk 1,500 per day, coordinators Tk 1,200 and support staff Tk 500 each. Trainees were also entitled to Tk 80 per day for two rounds of tea and snacks and Tk 500 for lunch during day-long training programmes.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, as online activities expanded, the Finance Division in 2021 allowed trainers to receive full honorarium rates for online in-house training, while trainees received half of the prescribed allowance.

Course directors, coordinators and support staff were also paid half of their usual rates, while no expenditure was permitted for refreshments.

Later that year, another directive set honorarium rates for online seminars and workshops. Keynote presenters, moderators, discussants and rapporteurs received payments at the prescribed rates, while participants were entitled to only half of the approved honorarium. No provision was made for support staff.